Spring-cushion tire.



N. MCQUEBN., SPRING CUSHION TIRE. f

PPLIOATION FILED DEO.14, i910.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

s SHEETS-,SHEET z.

N. MGQUEBN. SPRING CUSHION TINE, APPLICATION FiLEn 1336.114, 11910.

Patented Aug, 6, 1912.

NEILL MUQUEEN, 0F LUDOWICI, GEORGIA.

SPRING-CUSHION TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. c, 1912.

Applcationled December. 14, 1910. Serial-No. 597,384.

To all 'whom it may concern:l

`Be it knownthat I, NEILL citizen of t-he United States, residing at Ludowici, in' t-he county of Liberty and State of Georgia, have invented-new and useful Improvement yin Spring- Cushion Tires, of which the fo lowing is a specifica? tion.

My invention consists in improvements .in spring cushion vtires disclosed in my appli- MCQUEEN, a

cation, Serial No. 585,150, tiled Oct. 3, 1910.

The improvements consist in structural features `giving a stronger construction rals are preferably wound which may be'more cheaply manufactured, and which is more eliicient andinore durable.

-The tire of my prior application referred to consists of intertwined spiral strips of spring metal." The particular geometric form of the structure is of great advantage, as cle-arly pointed out. The intertwined spitions', `and are riveted and connected together at the crossing points by peripheral strips of material so that one pair of turns of spirals is used to brace .the pairs adjacent to it. The great .number of joints necessary,`

however, makes the4 cost of vmanufacture somewhat high and decreases the strength, durability and eiiiciency.

According to the present invention I co-nstruct a spring struct-ure of substantially'the same geometric form by cuttin the elements o-f the structure from relative y wide sheets of material, practically the entire spring structure being integral and formed of a single sheet of material. Thus 'the great number of joints necessary to be made when the elements are separately cut and fastened together are avoided. When assembled and secured on the wheel, the action of the integral cushion structure is and in addition the eiiiciency,strength and durability are much increased, while thel central transverse section of the structure applied to a wheel. Fig. 2 is aside elevation o f a portion .ofthe structure. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view, the section being made central of the body of the structure on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.j-Fig. 4 isa plan of the form of structureas cut from the sheet. Fig. 5 is in opposite direc-v the saine, all of the advantages of the old form being secured,

a similar plan of the reinforcing structure. 6 is a perspective View of a section of the' structure as formed for attachment to the wheel. f Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of a modified structure. Fig. 8 is a trans- Versevsection of the modified structure.

The main spring structure generally (Figs. 1 and'2) is designated 10. The anxiliary inner spring structure is designated 11. The structures 10 and 11 are secured together to a common attaching rim strip 12. The rim strip is held to the rim of the wheel by two clamping members 18 and 14 clamped .to the felly 15 of the Wheel by bolts 16, and provided with coacting wedge shaped portions-17 and 18, one of which, 18, bears against the periphery of the felly, and the other of which, `17, engages the attaching-strip 12 and forces it tightly into contact with the walls of the grooves .19 in the clamping members. The grooves19-are made of such dimensions as to accommodate the clencher vedges 20 of' the protecting outer` envelop 2l ofthe tire. The main spring structurellO comprises a central relatively narrow peripheral strip 22, and integrally formed pairs of diverging ribs 23, 24. The pairs of ribs are similar, and the corresponding pairs of ribs are parallel, as clearly shown 1n Fig. f

4 which shows the structure as cut integrally from a sheet of material. Furthermore, the pairs branch from common points, that is, the pairs on one side branch from points on the strip opposite the pairs on the opposite side.v These ribs 23, 24 are turned inwardly and 'under each other on the under side of the strip, the angle of'divergence of the ribs of the pairs being such that adjacent ribs of adjacent pairs meet or approach each other beneath the peripheral connecting strip 22.

These ribs are connected together by being riveted to the common attaching strip 12, which extends circumferentially Varound. the rim of the tire. Thus it will be seen that the geometric form of intertwined spirals (see Figs. 2 and 3) is ap ro'Ximated very closely by this integrally ormed structure.- The ribs 24, it w1ll be seen, are connectedly eX- tended in the form of a spiral in one direction, while the ribs 23 extend in a similar spiral` in the opposite direction.

The reinforclng spring struct-ure 1l is similarly formed to the main structure 10, the only substantial point of dierence being that the angle of divergence of the ribs of the pairs is somewhat greater. This is on account of the fact that the reinforcing structure is smaller and because the structure is secured to the attaching strip 12 by fastenin the ends of its ribs to the st-rip 12 interme iate the ends of the ribs 23,` 2450i vthe main structure. By virtue of the makspirals is made. This adds to the efficiency of operation of the structure as well as to the ease of manufacture.

In Fig. 7 I have showna modification which differs from the form just described in that instead of the ribs belng'riveted t0 the attaching strip they are secured by e Copies of this patentpigy be obtained for .Moreover they may be placed f 1n an bending their ends over to form loops 25, these loops being threaded lby circumferential stri s or rodsv 26 which are turn riveted to the attaching strip 12 at intervals. The ends of the ribs on one side If the structure 10 are attached to one band26, while the ends on the other side of the structure are attached to another band. As many of these bands maybe u'sed as is made necessary by the dimensions of the structure and the character of the reinforcing-structure desired relation toeach,other. .'The ri s of the structure 11 are secured to a centrally located band 26 similar to the outer bands,

the ribs being connected alternately first one from one side and then one from the other. A

lMy invention is capable also of other embodiments and 4these .embodiments may be given it by those skilled in theart Without .1n .any Way departing from the generic, spirlt'of my invention. I therefore desirel to c overin the annexed claims all such modifications.

I cla-iII1- 1. A sprlngcushion struct-ure .fori vehicle .tires comprising a central circular strip of strip `and diverging in spring ribs on opposite sides,

material,'and pairs of integrally formed diverging ribs on opposite sides of saidA central strip, said ribs being curved toward each other, and means securing the ends of the opposite ribs together.

2. A spring cushion structure for vehicle tires comprisi a central circular strip of material, ribs integrally formed with said airs from common points on o posite si es of said,- 'central strip, said r1 s ybeing curved toward each other, and means securing the ends ci the opposite ribs together. v

3. A spring cushion structure orvehicle tires comprisin a central circular.- strip having pairs o integrally ormeddiverging spring ribs on o posite sides, said ribs being curyed inwar ly and toward each other on one slde of said central stripxmeans securing the ends 'of the opposite ribs together, and asimilarly formed inner rein.

orcing spring structure, the ribs of which are secured to the aforesaid means securing the ribs together, intermediate the ribs of the main structure.

4. A spring cushion structure for vehicle tires comprising a central circular strip having pairs Vott integrally formed diverging said ribs ybeing curved inwardly and toward each other at one side of said central strip, means -securing the ends of the opposite ribs ytoether, y lnforcing spring structure, the ribsV 0f which have a relatively greater angle of divergence between them and being secured to aforesaid means securing the ribs together intermediate the ribsj of the main structure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in' presence of two subscribing witnes'ses.

l fNEILL MCQUEEN.

Witnesses:

T. F. JoHNs'roN, v d. BRUCE DANIEL.

five cents each, by addressing the commissioner ot Tatents, washington, n. c."

and 'a similarly formed inner re- 

